Abstract

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The research presented in this paper concerns the psychological situation of civilian citizens of Ukraine following the attack of Russia on this country in 2022. The study looked at Ukrainian citizens who remained in their home country despite the hostilities, as well as refugees in Poland, Slovakia and Germany.

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The main objectives of the exploration were to find out to what extent these individuals responded to war threats with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) and to determine the importance of attachment styles. Answers were sought to the questions of the differences between a group of war refugees from Ukraine and a group of Ukrainian nationals who remained in their homeland in terms of the severity of threats, PTSD, the level of post-traumatic growth and the intensity of the individual attachment styles.

THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: A situation of war implies an accumulation of a number of various threats accompanied by traumatic experiences related to factors that are both directly and indirectly dangerous to the individual. Civilian victims of war commonly experience frustration of basic psychological needs which can lead to PTSD and the posttraumatic growth.

RESEARCH RESULTS: The severity of war-related threats was a predictor of PTSD for the respondents as it predicts variability in PTG scores, either directly positively or indirectly negatively through avoidant attachment style. War-related traumatic experiences may impair secure attachment styles and strengthen insecure styles. There were significant differences between the group of civilians who remained in Ukraine and that of refugees.

CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The both groups of Ukrainian nationals in the survey experienced elevated levels of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Thus, they often require specialised therapeutic help in coping with PTSD in addition to the assistance they receive in adapting to life abroad.